“Into The Woods” Movie Review

After making its box office debut on Christmas Day, I finally got the chance to go see “Into The Woods” in the theaters. After watching several trailers and reviewing the all-star cast that was to be seen in this movie, I was thrilled to finally go see the movie. However, it was not at all what I expected in both good ways and bad.

“Into The Woods” is a modern twist on some of the most well-known fairy tales. The director, Rob Marshall, intertwines the plots of our beloved children’s stories. This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Repunzel which are all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife who wish to start a family but can’t because of a witch that has put a curse on them.

The reason I was so intrigued by this movie at first was the cast that stars in it. We receive such a broad range of talent and age from this cast including Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Lilla Crawford and the most unexpected of them all… Johnny Depp. Satisfying the urge to keep watching, the collaboration of these actors is magical and leaves you wanting more. This line-up makes you want to see what these actors are capable of as the main character in a different movie seeing as they all excelled as their characters in “Into The Woods.” The cast was perfect for the creative setting displayed in this movie. Every inch of scenery in the movie is what you envisioned from your favorite fairy tale. You can’t help but love “the Woods” which is first portrayed as this dark and dangerous forest but you soon see that it is where all the magic happens. The twisted fairy tales are all pulled together in “the Woods” and it adds nothing but mystery as to where the story will venture next.

I was impressed with this movie, however, there are a few blemishes that I would like to address. First off, I had no idea this movie was a musical going into it because there were no trailers made showing anyone singing. This could easily just be a personal issue due to not knowing of the stage musical, however, every song was too similar to the next and there wasn’t enough variation in the musical pieces. Additionally, some songs are carried out much longer than they need to be. Lastly, I wish more humor was incorporated into this movie because it was already a new look to our favorite fairy tales and it could have been enhanced with some more laughs. The writers tried to incorporate humor, except it is so far and few between that sometimes you can’t tell if you should laugh or not.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie and would recommend it to others if you’re looking for a movie full of action, mystery and unexpectedness.